Beis Ruchel Girls School

Inspection of Beis Ruchel Girls School – Salford 11 Norton Street, Salford, Greater Manchester M7 4AJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appear happy, friendly and enthusiastic. They were very polite to us, living up to the school’s high expectations about showing respect to adults and each other. They told us that they enjoy school and feel safe. However, we were unable to speak to pupils without a member of staff being present.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend school regularly. They are keen to be on time. Those who we spoke to said that the school is like a big family.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to do their best and pupils rise to this challenge. Pupils achieve well. Pupils’ behaviour during this inspection was good. The school’s records show that bullying hardly ever happens. Pupils confirmed this. Leaders make sure that pupils know who they can talk to if they are worried about anything.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils contribute to the community, for example by visiting homes for older people.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a wide range of religious and secular learning. However, there are gaps. The school does not help pupils to find out about the full variety of people in modern Britain. Leaders and other staff do not teach about, or even mention, some of the protected characteristics set out in The Equality Act 2010. These include matters concerning sexual orientation, gender reassignment, civil partnership and some aspects of religion and faith. In addition, pupils have little experience of music as part of the school’s main curriculum.

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better?

Leaders make sure that pupils study a wide curriculum. They have provided training for teachers to help them to understand how they can help pupils to build up their knowledge. This has helped staff. For example, in art, pupils now spend more time thinking creatively and developing their knowledge and skills rather than just copying artists’ pictures. However, some teachers are at an earlier stage in implementing the school’s new approach to the curriculum.

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better?

Over time, pupils, in general, have achieved strong GCSE results. More pupils are gaining the highest grades. Leaders have identified that that this has followed the planned improvements to the curriculum. In addition, pupils’ determination to learn well reflects their dedicated attitude and good approach.

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better?

We saw how leaders have increased their expectations of pupils’ learning. In English, the school now enters most Year 11 pupils for a GCSE aimed at pupils who speak English as their first language. In the past, their English qualification was designed for those who mainly spoke another language. Pupils read samples of different authors as part of their English work. They also have access to a small library in the school. However, teachers do not know how often pupils read and so are less able to help them. 14–16 January 2020

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The school has a well-organised approach to planning the curriculum. This helps teachers to know what they are expected to teach. They carefully plan the best order of lessons to help pupils’ knowledge to grow. We saw these plans in action in visits to history and mathematics lessons. However, the faith convictions of the community that the school serves mean that some topics are not taught. In addition to avoiding any reference to some of the protected characteristics in the school’s work, staff, for example, do not cover work on human reproduction.

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Many aspects of the care and welfare of students are strong. Most personal, social and health education is provided as part of the kodesh (Jewish faith) curriculum. Leaders have made sure that pupils’ mental health is supported by providing information and, when needed, help from suitably qualified experts. However, the school does not provide pupils with sufficient information about the differences that exist among people. This limits their preparation for the experiences that they may have in the future.

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Leaders ensure that the school provides careers education for pupils. This includes information for pupils about a range of potential options for their future. Some of this advice is provided by people from organisations outside the school. Leaders’ plans show that they want to increase this sort of advice.

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Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. The special educational needs coordinator provides teachers with helpful information about pupils with SEND. Whenever possible, such pupils are included in the normal work of their classes and follow the same curriculum. Sometimes, these pupils have a different curriculum from others for some of the time, for example by spending more time on practical subjects. While the school does not currently have any pupils with mobility difficulties, if needed, much of the school building is accessible to wheelchair users.

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Staff are very positive about the contribution they make to pupils’ education. Despite the recent changes to the curriculum, staff told us that leaders make sure that their workload is acceptable. Leaders have reduced the number of times that they ask teachers to submit records of assessments of pupils’ achievement. Leaders make sure that teachers concentrate on assessment that helpfully supports pupils’ learning.

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The governing body includes the proprietor. Governors are well informed about the successes of the school and its recent development, for example about the curriculum. However, they do not ensure that the school meets all the independent school standards. The school’s approach means that the standards relating to the protected characteristics are not met. In addition, the school was not able to provide us with open access to pupils. Therefore, we were not able to be sure that we had been fully informed about their views and opinions. The school’s failure to meet some of the standards also means that the standards about leadership and management are not met. Other aspects of the school’s provision meet the standards. For example, the premises are well maintained and the arrangements for providing parents, carers and others with information about the school are sufficient. 14–16 January 2020

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and other staff are well informed about their responsibility to safeguard pupils. Leaders provide regular training for staff. All staff read the relevant parts of the latest national guidance about safeguarding. There have been very few recent safeguarding concerns. However, the leaders and staff know what to do should the need arise.

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Safeguarding

The school systems for appointing staff and recording the checks on the suitability of newly appointed members of staff are thorough.

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Safeguarding

The school site is secure. Proper steps have been taken to keep pupils safe during the current building works next to the school.

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Safeguarding

The pupils we spoke to told us that they felt safe. This was in the presence of a member of staff.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Some teachers in some subjects are at an early stage in applying the school’s new approaches to the curriculum their work. As a result, pupils’ learning in some subjects is less strong than in others. Leaders should ensure that the changes to the curriculum are fully developed and used in all subjects so that pupils can gain the most benefit.  The curriculum has some gaps. This means, for example, that pupils have limited opportunities to study music and they are not encouraged to read as systematically as possible. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum gives pupils the widest possible experiences.  The school has a developing, but limited, programme of careers education. This includes some input from independent people. As a result, pupils do not know about all the career options available. Leaders must ensure that the careers provision in the school provides sufficient independent advice and guidance to

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

enable pupils to understand the full range of career options available to young people.  In accordance with the orthodox Jewish community’s convictions and practice, the school does not teach about the full diversity of people in modern Britain. This includes avoiding reference to the protected characteristics identified in the Equality Act 2010 concerning sexual orientation, gender reassignment, civil partnership and some aspects of religion and faith. This limits pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the range of relationships and religions in society. Leaders must ensure that pupils are better prepared for their lives in modern Britain. 14–16 January 2020

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 14–16 January 2020

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) Agreed with proprietor on admission

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School details

Email address mrstauber@beisruchel.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11–13 July 2018

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Information about this school

 No pupils attend off-site alternative provision.  A building project to provide facilities adjacent to this school for the school’s linked primary school is nearing completion. This building project means that access to the school’s recently established food and nutrition room is currently only possible by a route that leaves the school’s site.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. 14–16 January 2020

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The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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 During this inspection we were only able to speak to pupils when a member of staff was present. In addition, we followed leaders’ requests that we would not ask pupils questions concerning the protected characteristics identified in the Equality Act 2010 relating to sexual orientation, gender reassignment, civil partnership, and religion and belief. The restricted access to pupils and limitations on the matters we could discuss inhibited our ability to evaluate pupils’ views, knowledge and understanding in forming our judgements and determining compliance with independent school standards.  We looked closely at how the curriculum is provided in art, English, mathematics and history. We talked with the senior leaders, teachers and pupils. We looked at planning for the curriculum. We visited lessons and examined pupils’ books.  We gathered evidence about pupils’ behaviour and attitudes, their personal

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development, and the leadership and management of the school. We met with leaders to discuss these topics, held a discussion with two governors and talked with pupils.  We checked the school’s compliance with the independent school standards throughout our inspection activities. As part of this, we completed a tour of the school buildings accompanied by the site manager. We made a separate visit to the food and nutrition room.  We completed some inspection activities accompanied by leaders.  We could not speak with the proprietor during this inspection. He was out of the country with poor telephone connections to the United Kingdom.  We looked closely at the arrangements for safeguarding pupils. To do this, we met with leaders, talked to other staff and checked with pupils that they felt safe. We looked at documents such as the school’s record of safeguarding checks made when staff are appointed and the safeguarding policy.

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 We examined other documents including the school’s improvement plan, policies, details of risk assessments, summaries of pupils’ GCSE results and records about pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  We received no responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, pupils or staff. However, we considered the views of some parents provided in letters to us.

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Inspection team

David Selby, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Zarina Connolly Ofsted Inspector 14–16 January 2020

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if— – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and  2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are— – 2(2)(d) personal, social, health and economic education which— – 2(2)(d)(ii) encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act;

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

 5 The standard about the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school is met if the proprietor— – 5(b) ensures that principles are actively promoted which— – 5(b)(vi) encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act; and

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Part 6. Provision of information

 32(1) The standard about the provision of information by the school is met if the proprietor ensures that— – 32(1)(g) any information reasonably requested in connection with an inspection under section 109 of the 2008 Act which is required for the purposes of the inspection is provided to the body conducting the inspection and that body is given access to the school’s admission and attendance registers;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school— – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and 14–16 January 2020

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